UK's ex-Brexit Secretary pours cold water on May's deal

A contentious backstop agreement, now close to being agreed, will aim to avoid a hard land border between Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland if the two sides have not struck a long-term deal.

"The first option is the one the Government is proposing: an agreement that will leave our country economically weakened, with no say in the European Union rules it must follow and years of uncertainty for business".

Johnson wants a three-way referendum giving the people a choice between remaining in the EU, May's deal and no deal. The "democratic thing to do is to give the public the final say", he argued.

Johnson is the 14th minister to have resigned from government since November past year and the most senior to have called for another referendum in his leaving statement.

"Jo Johnson is right to resign over the Withdrawal agreement which does not deliver on the referendum but creates a vassal state".

A well-respected and liked member of the government, he has decided that what was promised to people during the referendum campaign is now so different to what is on the table that he has quit the government instead.

The Brexit negotiations have turned out to be tougher than expected for both sides, with neither able to agree on major points such as the Irish border and post-Brexit trade tariffs with third parties. My loyalty to the party is undimmed.

The 0.6 percent growth also outstrips growth in the European Union as a whole which has hit an abrupt slowdown, growing at just 0.3 percent in the EU28 area and 0.2 percent across the euro currency nations.

"The referendum in 2016 was the biggest democratic exercise in this country's history", the spokesman said.

Gross domestic product climbed 0.6 percent in the third quarter, in line with analysts' expectations and up on growth of 0.4 percent in the second quarter, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in an initial estimate.

He offered a scathing critique of the Prime Minister's Brexit plan as he announced his exit, and suggested that others could be deciding whether to take a similar stand.

"My priority is really just to do my best as a now backbench MP to try and encourage the country to pause and reflect before we do something that is irrevocably stupid", Johnson said. We think the surge in output will be fleeting.

Mr Johnson, younger brother of Boris, used his resignation to call for a second vote, claiming it was now "imperative" to go back to the public to "check they are content" with Mrs May's proposals for Brexit.

Following Jo's resignation, Boris tweeted about his admiration for his sibling.